Reports that National MP Alfred Ngaro is looking to form a breakaway Christian Party to contest the next election are being downplayed by Opposition leader, Simon Bridges.
The New Zealand Herald is this morning reporting that National is considering the option, in order to give them a potential coalition partner in 2020.
It has been suggested that Mr Ngaro could contest the safe National Botany seat, which is currently held by the independent Jami-Lee Ross. In a text to Morning Report Mr Bridges described the story as quote "rumour and speculation".
The text went onto say: "We've always said options will appear, time will tell if something like this or something else will come up."
Bryce Edwards is a political scientist at Victoria University. He talks to Susie Ferguson.
